Book 3: Chapter 34 - The Hot Humpty Dumpty

There is a simple reason for our ignorance.
Why the world ended, and why no one seems to know what happened.

I don’t mean the various conspiracies of government cover-ups or mysterious cults.
Those are anything but simple.

I am referring to the basic reality.

There are no records of what went wrong, or where the mist came from.
Not in newly recorded history, or in the archives.

Because there was no time.

The world ended in a single hour, as far as historians can tell.

The mist and crystal wasn’t there, and then it was.
Ninety percent of the world choked to death on the same day.

There was no research because there was no warning.
One day, the world was just swallowed whole.
—Virgil Clay, Lecture

Violet felt better than ever when she woke up. Her plan had decidedly failed, which was annoying. But... she felt refreshed. Clean, even. Like her hair had finally been washed, although that was impossible.

She could tell it was dark out, even from inside the shelter. Another day had passed, and she'd been pulled out of the nest. Her target was also still alive. 

That was incredibly annoying.

But it was not without upsides. As poorly as their first trip into the nest had gone, Violet was still gaining clarity. Faster than she had in months, in fact. She could feel it, like silk on naked skin. Soft and comforting. Cooling to the touch and absent of any friction. She was getting stronger, and that growth was embracing her.

That meant things were going smoothly back in Prism City. That was unsurprising. Everything had been set up far more carefully, and with months of preparation. Even if Chase didn't do what she expected, Demetri would still be under police protection by now. Violet's tailored uniform and embarrassingly expensive wig would have Koral at the top of the suspect list. Even if the girl hadn't delivered Aubrey's mail—along with the extra envelopes Violet had slipped into the pile. 

And if she had? The train records alone would have Koral in custody. Based on the clarity? The energy tickling the back of Violet's neck and sending an electricity through her veins? That was exactly what had happened. The Cruel Ivy Killer was being arrested. Her name was being shared with the public. And Violet was in control. 

She just had to prepare Aubrey for that realization. Koral had been chosen as soon as Violet opened Shepard's files. The girl looked a lot like Violet, had some sort of sealed records, and had even discussed some previous issues with Mr. Bouvier. The headmaster, according to Shepard, wrongly suspected Koral of being a Nightshade. And Koral rarely left campus. The girl had been perfect. Especially considering the rest of Violet’s plan.

Aubrey deciding to date her, on the other hand, had been incredibly annoying. Of all the girls in that fucking school, the banshee had chosen Violet's fall guy. That was going to be messy if she didn't get Aubrey on her side before they made it home.

That was a job for after she finished her other job. It would be easier to sway Aubrey when the girl was shaken by a recent death. Violet wondered if she couldn't pin it on Aubrey again. That would make things easier.

She sat up, finding herself on a bedroll in a small tent. It was warmer than expected, and the beige tent was moving in a gentle breeze. Kiera's blanket was covering her legs, and all her aches and pains were missing. That was a relief. If she was going to get this job done, it would be better to do it without distractions.

Once she had her bearings, she held both hands in front of her and examined her palms. She curled her fingers a few times, focusing on every feeling of control as she made and unmade fists with both hands. It had been long enough. She took a deep breath and focused. She felt clarity leave her like heat passing from warm skin to cold steel. Two objects formed in her hands. 

Simple orange crystal formed two basic hunting knives. She didn't know why that was always what she chose when she needed something small. Perhaps it just made her feel safe, or powerful. Maybe those were the same thing in her mind. She didn't make them as sturdy as she could have. She didn't need them for anything in particular, and had held back. She simply needed them to exist for a moment, and it wouldn't do to be seen with yellow weapons. 

She heard someone approaching a moment later and tucked the weapons away. From the sound of the visitor, she thought it was Guy. That was interesting. She liked him well enough, but they weren't exactly... friends. Or they were, but they were the sort of friends who interacted as part of a group. The last time they'd been alone together, Violet had lectured him and told him to keep his head down in the field. Advice he'd agreed to, then largely ignored several months later when it mattered.

But that was fine. He was funny, at least. And he wouldn't act all solemn and scared because of the incident in the nest. Even if he felt that way, it wouldn't show. She wouldn't mind chatting with the boy for a while. And it was late enough at night that Kiera might actually be asleep, so Guy was the next best thing.

A few moments later, the tent flap opened, and the tank himself stepped inside. “Oh, you're up,” he chirped. “That's a relief.”

“You sound like Kiera,” Violet moped. “Why will no one let a girl sleep in anymore?”

“I was just afraid you were gonna take another week off while the rest of us worked,” Guy teased.

“Now why would I do that?” Violet asked. “I've obviously been healed, haven't I?”

Guy shrugged. “Sure. But face it, Vi. You have a reputation. You like to fall off things and sleep for a week. Like hot Humpty Dumpty.”

Violet couldn't deny that. “Glad you know I'm hot, at least. Although I'm surprised you don't think Humpty Dumpty is the hot version of himself,” she quipped. 

“I do like to crack an egg here and there,” he agreed. He rubbed the back of his neck for a moment, letting the conversation lag. Then he nodded toward the bedroll. “Mind if I sit down?”

Violet gestured at the other side of the tent. It wasn't huge, but two could fit while sitting up. “Make yourself at home,” she said. “What can your fearless leader do for you today?”

Guy complied, taking a seat with his legs crossed a few feet away. He met Violet's eyes, then sighed. “You know. You are a sweet, kind girl. Brave and helpful. Smart and funny. And sometimes, talking to you is scary as fuck,” he admitted.

“If you're hitting on me right now, I want you to know I like the approach. I do like a man who thinks I'm cute and scary. The timing is also impeccable, really. But I don't think we're a great match,” she replied. The boy was offensively pretty; she could acknowledge that. Just about anyone attracted to men would like him, and he had a way of adding new people to that demographic. But spineless wasn't her type, and she wouldn't do that to Kiera, anyway. 

Guy blushed and shook his head. “No, no. Nothing like that. Or, uh... not right now. I reserve the right to hit on everyone in this camp after the nest is taken down. But that's not what I'm doing here,” he assured her.

“Even the homunculi?” Violet asked. 

“What?” Guy replied. He stared in befuddled silence for several seconds, then finally connected the dots with a chuckle. “I don't see why not. Wouldn't be the first crystal I've batted my eyelashes at. I do like a strong silent type.” 

“Careful batting those things at anything, dude. You might cause shockwaves,” Violet complained. His eyelashes remained ridiculous, even after a week without a bath and no makeup in sight.

Guy laughed again, shaking his head and looking down as he did. “I appreciate you, Vi,” he murmured. “Alright. Guess I'd better spit it out. I want you to use me.”

Violet blinked. “So glad this wasn't about hitting on me,” she deadpanned.

Guy rolled his eyes, which seemed audacious considering... he was Guy. He couldn't make it through a single class without telling the teacher about his poor aim at the urinal. The boy was too ridiculous to find Violet silly. But she allowed it. If only because her joke hadn't been that good. And because his face quickly shifted to a more serious tone.

“In the field. I've been working hard since our last talk. And I'm not perfect. I'm still afraid, and I can acknowledge I still fall short when it matters. But... I can help. And I think I proved that today,” he explained.

“Oh?” she asked. “So it was you who saved us earlier? I was wondering who did that.” That wasn't even a lie. She wanted to find whoever ruined her plan and glue their bare ass to a flying hedron. Guy was not at the top of her list of suspects, though.

Yet, he looked sheepishly at the ground and scratched his head. “Aubrey helped warn me in time to turn back, but yeah. Yeah, that was me,” he confirmed. There was both anxiety and pride in his voice, like a nervous child presenting a second-place trophy to strict parents. “And I can do more. I swear I can. I want the chance to try more directly.”

She was going to shave a stripe down the middle of his head.

“That's... extremely encouraging,” she said. “And thank you. Sounds like you saved my life, but—” She suddenly stopped speaking as the world came into even clearer focus. Like the feeling of popping pressure in her ears, a veil was lifted from her senses, and she felt every attribute rise at once.

It was done. That was as much confirmation as she needed. Her plan had worked, and it had pushed her over the edge into the next degree. 

“I'm sorry, I suddenly have an insane headache. Can we pick this up again later?” she dismissed.

Guy visibly deflated, but he nodded. “Yeah. Sure thing, Vi. Sorry for dumping this on you as soon as you woke up,” he apologized.

“No, not at all! It was good to see a friendly face,” she encouraged. “I'm just not all here yet, I don't think. Can you send Angelo back my way?”

Violet Asher
Category [Yellow]
Calling <Reaper>
Degree {6}
Attributes
Agility (361)
Constitution (203)
Dexterity (318)
Endurance (231)
Perception (460)
Resistance (273)
Strength (167)
Bloodlust (790)

Violet grinned. That was quite the jump. She needed to go fishing more often. The satisfaction of the perfect bait and a hook in the mouth of her prey was simply too perfect. It had taken her three months to get through the lower degrees of Category Yellow, and this trick had done as much in a week. It felt good to progress again. The bloodlust attribute was interesting as well. She still didn’t quite understand it, but it made her feel good. And at the rate it was growing... well, it was already in the range of Category Violet attributes.

But she didn’t have time to linger on this. She could already tell she was stronger. Now she needed to see her new talent. If God still loved Violet, she’d have given the reaper something to make up for the plan Guy had botched. Violet sent the mental command to her empathy ring, and the attributes washed away like the mauve mist outside. In their place, her talents presented themselves. Including one she could feel, but not understand without a description.

Quiet Purgatory - [Yellow] - {5}

“The Reaper is a world of her own. A monolith of judgment and a force of nature. Some souls are heavier than others, however. Quiet Purgatory is the Reaper's domain. Her kingdom and her court. When she needs time to evaluate the souls she reaps, she may store them in her shadows. Quiet Purgatory is a space outside of reality, where the Reaper may keep any item, object, or enemy in perpetuity. Until she is prepared to properly deliver judgment.

The Reaper’s bloodlust must dominate a soul’s resistance, or they cannot be imprisoned in Quiet Purgatory.”

The grin that split her face would have sent shivers down even Kiera’s spine. It was a smile that didn’t belong on a human’s face, wide enough to make her teeth look sharper than they were. She could absolutely work with this.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t test it out just yet. She could hear Angelo approaching to help her with her supposed headache. So she dismissed the ring's output and folded her hands back in her lap. She’d have a moment to try it out before she actually needed it. In the meantime, she needed to have a chat with the group’s guardian angel.

She’d failed to isolate him before, but this might’ve been even better than her original plan. She couldn’t do it there in the tent, but if she convinced him to meet her somewhere away from camp... She just needed to pick the perfect little white lie, and she’d have him. Well, the perfect lie and a little help from Kiera. It wouldn’t be ideal if she was noticeably missing when Angelo disappeared.